Muslims fight for kosher food, say jail meals favor Jews

A food fight is brewing in the Palm Beach County jail after Muslim inmates had their kosher meals replaced with vegan fare.

Imam Jaabir Muhammad, described by local TV station WPTV as the jail chaplain, told the station’s reporters that he is concerned Muslim inmates are being treated unfairly.

“They made all of them vegans, vegetarians against their will,” Muhammad said.

While Jewish inmates will continue to receive kosher meals, Muhammad said Muslim inmates were informed on July 15 that they would no longer receive kosher or halal meals.

Muslims can eat meat, but it must be prepared or butchered in a special way. Followers of Islam prefer “halal” meat but can eat kosher meals as an alternative.

Teri Barbera, spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, released this statement:

“The Sheriff’s Office is in complete compliance with all Jail Accreditation standards prescribed by, the American Correctional Association, the Florida Correctional Accreditation Commission, and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, concerning meals given to all inmates. Inmates requiring specialty meals are given meals as it relates to each specific religion, and those meals meet the standards for each specific religion. The Sheriff’s Office is in contact with the leadership of the Muslims community, and will address any of their concerns as it relates to the standards the jail adheres to, but we will not deviate from those standards.”

Barbera said the meal change was a cost-cutting measure, explaining the agency’s reasoning for continuing to supply Jewish prisoners with kosher meals:

“I understand the Muslim religion does not require their meals to be kosher and the Jewish religion does. We provide kosher meals to inmates practicing the Jewish faith. We provide an alternative religious diet to Muslims that follow the Halal dietary requirements. Meals whether they are kosher or alternative religious diet(s), meet ALL the daily nutritional recommendations required.”

Muhammad was not happy with the explanation and plans to meet with jail officials in person to address the issue.

“It sends to me that there’s favoritism, discrimination and that they’re discriminating against the Muslims in favor of other religious beliefs,” he said.

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Comments

There’s always the option of returning to their native country where I’m sure jail meals would be to their liking.
It’s absolutely astounding that prisoners think they should have rights, especially muslims. In their native country, they likely would have been beheaded for the simplest of crimes. But here in the US, they whine about their meals.
Go tell it to alah!

isis5551

Hey muzslimes, did you not get the memo? Your in prison, you dip-sh*ts!

JOEL714

i would feed them baloney sandwiches as they do in arizona, made purely with pork. If they don’t like it then feed them the excrement from the jewish prisoners.. Nothing can be more kosher than that.

candace6

Are you freaking kidding me? I would tell “Mohammad” you’ll either eat this and like it or we’ll put you on the next plane to Afghanistan.

ST

I don’t think any should have special food. Jewish, Muslim etc….Everyone should eat the same food. They broke the law. No special privileges!

CHARLES SINES

I SAY YOUR IN JAIL YOU BROKE THE LAW OR YOU WOULDN’T BE THERE BE THANKFUL YOUR GETTING FED AND EAT WHATEVER IS GIVEN TO YOU NO SPECIAL TREATMENT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ANYONE THAT IS IN THERE THE RULES ARE THE RULES 3 HOTS AND A COT THAT IS ALL YOU NEED.

Lee Fleming

Our military doesn’t even get 3 hots and a cot. Suck it up CUPCAKE.

John F Gordon

Given em all peanutbutter. That’ll even things out. This story isn’t really new. This bullshit over food has been going on with muslims in jail for over 35yrs. now. They used to do the same thing in Cleveland’s County Jail.

porktheotherwhitemeat

stay out of jail and you can eat whatever you want

Karen K Clark

Doesn’t the kosher meals get paid for by the local Synagogue/s ? And come from approved kitchens? Didn’t Moslum dishes from the Moslum approved kitchens have illegal items inserted at one of the central fl area prisons years ago? And maybe that’s why they are not allowed in?? Were the said prisoners practicing Moslem prior to entering prison? Or is it because they get “protection” from the rest of the population on the inside??HMMMM

Ronald R. Johnson

If they don’t like the food quit committing crimes or move in to the white house with Obama and Michelle and at their expense or better yet pack up and go back to Muslim land taking Obama and Holder with them!